Organiser Neil Prendergast obtained a last minute dispensation to allow 70 riders to compete and 66 of them started.

The event started in North Newbald village but was neutralised up the hill to the start/finish area where the race really began. A really rapid wind-assisted descent down the twisty Walkington Heads back to Newbald village stretched the field and attacks began on the ascent of Burgate.

The wind was getting stronger, everyone was pushed to a single column in the gutter and a group of eleven riders, including some local riders instigated a break, the break which broke the hopes of the rest of the field.

From now on it was a race of attrition. Bob Hewitt took the £20 prime from Billy Robinson to complete the first lap in 21:28. Among the eleven were two of Hull Thursday’s Racing Team, Danny Posnett and Graham Morgan, along with Paul Rymer, Robert Webster, Jon Asquith, Billy Robinson, Alexander Colman, Liam Foster, and Thomas Davison, who made this race their own.

Lap two was completed in 20:41 where Rob Webster took the prime from Tom Davison; they were the same 11 riders who were ahead now by exactly a minute from a group of 22. These were Nick Nettleton, Cameron Brooks, Giles Dumont, Damian Evington, Peter Fielding-Smith, Julian Pearce, Matthew Beaumont, Chris Emsley, David Allen, Karl Downes, Nick Guest, Benjamin Oglesby, Michael Brown, Mel Blackford, Gary Trees, David Beachill, Richard Douthwaite, Gary Hides, John Wright, Zachary Smith, Llewellyn Byrne and Stephen Ellis. In these conditions it was going to be a battle to get back on terms.

Lap three was completed in 21:07 and Paul Rymer took the prime from Rob Webster with the others close behind. It was clear that these two were the most dominant in the break, at least on the climb. The peloton was now at 2:04 and seemed to be losing ground rapidly, over a minute lost in about nine miles. Maybe there was some team plan afoot.

Lap four showed no weakening in the break now down to eight riders done in 21:38 and Webster reversing the sprint order and picking up the £29 prime from Rymer. Foster and Davison were at 18 seconds and the peloton at 3:40 facing a lost cause.  The penultimate lap, completed in 20:59, showed no sign of easing up. Rymer took this prime in a close sprint from Webster, and they had a gap of 27 seconds on Morgan, Posnett and Robinson, with Asquith at 35 secs. Colman was at 0:55, Foster at 2:22, Hewitt at 2:44, Davison at 4:00, Karl Downes at 5:29 and the peloton, what was left of it, was at 5:45.

So Paul Rymer soloed himself home in 20:55, nearly half a minute on Rob Webster, and all but two of the rest of the field came over the finishing line in ones. A real dream for a finishing judge but a very hard race for the competitors as Damian Evington, a good ex-Hull Thursday rider, described to me. It really was a good race and very pleasing to see local riders doing so well, particularly our own Daniel Posnett and Graham Morgan. I do believe that Paul Rymer is the nephew of Kevin Rymer, ‘Captain Kevas’ he was known, who took on the role of club captain for many years when we had regular club runs. Not forgetting, of course, that Billy Robinson is a second claim member, still a junior I think, and following in his father’s wheel marks.

Congratulations to all those who finished. If it was up to me you would all get double BC points for this race. For those who didn’t make the break there’s a lesson to be learned. It might not have been the sort of day when one or two riders could go on a long break, but eleven? A brilliant move when there would be an obvious reluctance, or inability, for single bodies to put in much work to bring it back. Oh, well! There’s always next year.

Photos from finish and the top of the steep part of the Newbald climb

Photos of the race from Craig Zad